Major view
F major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = E (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = Bb (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Madonna - Nothing really Matters - Chord
Key F major – D minor Chords Dm, C, Gm7, Bb, F, A Easy key G
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Key: F | Dm
Capo: 0
Bb
When I was very young, nothing really mattered to me
Dm Bb
But making myself happy, I was the only one
Dm F C
Now that I am grown, ev'rything's changed
Dm Bb F
I'll never be the same because of you
Dm C Gm7
Nothing really matters, love is all we need
Dm C Gm7 Bb Dm
Ev'rything I give you all comes back to me
Bb
Looking at my life, it's very clear to me
Dm Bb
I lived so selfishly, I was the only one
Dm F C
I realise that nobody wins
Dm Bb F
Something is ending and something begins
Dm C Gm7
Nothing really matters, love is all we need
Dm C Gm7 Bb Dm
Ev'rything I give you all comes back to me
C Gm7
Nothing really matters, love is all we need
Dm C Gm7 Bb Dm
Ev'rything I give you all comes back to me
Nothing takes the past away like the future
Bb
Nothing makes the darkness go like the light
Gm7
You're shelter from the storm
A Bb Gm7 Dm Bb Dm Bb
Give me comfort in your arms
Dm C Gm7
Nothing really matters, love is all we need
Dm C Gm7 Bb Dm
Ev'rything I give you all comes back to me
C Gm7
Nothing really matters
Dm C Gm7
Love is all we need
Dm C Gm7
Ev'rything I give you
Dm C Gm7
All comes back to me
Dm C Gm7
Nothing really matters
Dm C Gm7
Love is all we need
End of song Play again?
Madonna - Nothing really Matters Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Madonna – Nothing really Matters: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Bb and ends on Gm7. Its chords belong to both F major and Dm, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
D minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = Bb (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = C (natural-minor colour)
- #7 = C# (harmonic-minor leading tone from the V chord)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the D minor side because Dm is heard 24 times against 4 for F and the major V chord points straight at Dm. That is an interpretation, not a rule — the same chords are just as valid seen from F major, and switching between the two views is exactly where the practice value lies.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to F or to Dm; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | F | Tonic — home | F · A · C | 4× |
| ii7 | Gm7 | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | G · Bb · D · F | 16× |
| iii | Am | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | A · C · E | — |
| V/vi | A | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Dmsecondary dominant | A · C# · E | 1× |
| IV | Bb | Subdominant — moves away from home | Bb · D · F | 14× |
| V | C | Dominant — strongest pull home | C · E · G | 16× |
| vi | Dm | Relative minor — the melancholy side | D · F · A | 24× |
| vii° | Edim | Leading-tone chord — tension | E · G · Bb | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Dm | Tonic — home | D · F · A | 24× |
| ii° | Edim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | E · G · Bb | — |
| III | F | Relative major — the bright side | F · A · C | 4× |
| iv7 | Gm7 | Subdominant — moves away from home | G · Bb · D · F | 16× |
| v | Am | Minor dominant — soft pull | A · C · E | — |
| V | A | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | A · C# · E | 1× |
| VI | Bb | Submediant — warm colour | Bb · D · F | 14× |
| VII | C | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | C · E · G | 16× |
Analysis
The key pair is F major and its relative D minor (1 flat). 6 different chords appear 75 times in total; 5 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. The major V of Dm brings the harmonic-minor leading tone, giving the minor side a sharper, more dramatic pull; seen from F, the same A is V/vi, a secondary dominant heading for Dm.
Chord movement
- Gm7 Dm Fii7 → vi Dmiv7 → iminor plagal ×10
- Bb Dm FIV → vi DmVI → iVI → i ×10
- C Dm FV → videceptive cadence DmVII → iAeolian arrival ×2
- Bb F FIV → Iplagal cadence DmVI → III ×2
- Gm7 A Fii7 → V/vi Dmiv7 → Viv → V ×1
The move to watch is Gm7 → Dm, heard 10 times. From the Dm side it is iv7 → i (minor plagal: deep and melancholic); from the F side it reads ii7 → vi. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- F major pentatonic and D minor pentatonic are the same five notes (F – G – A – C – D): start from F for a brighter phrase, from D for a bluesier one.
- Over Dm, land on D, F, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Gm7, land on G, Bb, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- When A comes, swap the scale's C for C#: that single note is the harmonic-minor sound of the chord.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With F major shapes
- Capo 1 + E shapes
- Capo 3 + D shapes
- Capo 5 + C shapes
With D minor shapes
- No capo — open Dm shapes
- Capo 5 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 2 semitones up
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The opening Bb lays a solid floor for everything that follows. Dm, C, Gm7, Bb carry the song: vi–V–ii7–IV relative to F, i–VII–iv7–VI relative to Dm. A is the interesting twist: in F it is a chromatic chord (V/vi), while in Dm it becomes the dominant (V) that makes the minor side sound so determined. Keep an ear on Gm7 → Dm (ii7 → vi in F, iv7 → i in Dm): minor plagal — deep and melancholic. Ending on Gm7, the song seals F as home.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Madonna - Nothing really Matters Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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